An AI-generated image of Donald Trump, in which he was seen in a Jesus-like posture with a halo of divine light radiating behind him while appearing to anoint a stricken man in a hospital bed, was withdrawn from social media following a fierce backlash, as critics questioned the President’s mental state, speculated whether he was senile or under the influence of substances, and linked the spectacle to his escalating brawl with Pope Leo XIV.
The now-deleted post, shared on Truth Social, depicted Trump in quasi-messianic form with a demonic silhouette looming in the background, and although the President later insisted the portrayal was merely symbolic of him “making people better”, the visual provoked a sharp rupture within his conservative and Christian support base, many of whom condemned the imagery as blasphemous rather than humorous.
Prominent right-wing commentators, including Riley Gaines and Megan Basham, denounced the post in uncompromising terms, arguing that the depiction trivialised sacred imagery and demanded both its removal and repentance, while others, such as Isabel Brown, described it as a grotesque misreading of a society witnessing a renewed religious awakening.
Grassroots users on Truth Social, typically a bastion of unwavering loyalty, voiced rare dissent, while Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly distanced herself by denouncing the post and calling for prayers against it.
The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of an intensifying war of words between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, after the latter alluded to a “delusion of omnipotence” shaping US foreign policy, particularly in relation to tensions involving Iran, prompting Trump to retaliate with accusations that the pope was politically compromised and weak on crime.
While JD Vance attempted to defuse the situation by characterising the image as a misunderstood joke, suggesting that its deletion reflected a recognition that the humour had misfired, the defence did little to quell the widening criticism.
Religious leaders, including American bishops aligned with the Vatican, reaffirmed the pope’s authority as a moral voice rather than a political adversary, while international figures such as Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the depiction as an affront to religious sanctity.